Any thoughts on buying in Toronto?

[bob99]

I live in Toronto, Canada. Back in 2016, before all the madness, I bought my first Rolex (a 114060 no date sub) from Damiani Jewellers, an authorized dealer. I love that watch, and I wear it every day.

I'm now in the fortunate position where I'm able to buy more watches... But it's just not happening. I've been "checking in" with Damiani for over a year. I've bought a watch from them, I've been a customer in the past. But nothing. They have no watches available, and just tell me to "check back." No waiting list.

I've gone to Royal De Versailles a few times, and they also have no watches available. One time, they actually took down my info, writing it on a customer form that looked like a 1000th generation photocopy. Needless to say, I did not get "the call". In subsequent visits, they've just turned me away, not bothering with the charade of writing down my info.

This is not limited to Toronto - I have an office in Montreal, and I used to stop by Birks whenever I was there. I registered my name with them back in 2019, but... Nothing. I was in Beverly Hills a few weeks ago, and stopped by the Rolex store. Nothing. It's frustrating that these watches feel like they don't exist except in the photos that I see online!

In any case, I realize this is yet another variation on the age-old "there are no watches" rant. Any tips on what to do? Should I show them my bank balance to prove I can afford it? Should I bribe the salesperson? I'm not a reseller / flipper. I'm just a sucker who would like to spend large sums of money on silly watches that I don't really need. It's funny how hard it is to do!